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Sources of cigarettes

Sources of cigarettes for students in Grades 7-9

In 2016-17, when smokers in grades 7-9 were asked where they usually got their cigarettes, most reported obtaining them from social sources. Nearly two in five smokers usually asked someone to buy cigarettes for them, and another one in five bought them from a friend or someone else. One in five reported being given cigarettes by a friend, family member or someone else, or taking them from a family member (Figure 9.1).

Figure 9.1 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Usual sources of cigarettes for current smokers* in Grades 7-9, 2016-17

Source

%

Buy them myself at a store

10.5 [4.6-16.3]

Buy from a friend or someone else

20.9 [13.5-28.3]

Ask someone to buy them for me

38.9 [28.7-49.0]

Given by or taken from sibling or parent

13.8 [6.8-20.8]

Given by a friend or someone else

6.1 [2.5-9.8]

Other

9.8 [4.3-15.3]

*Current smoker: smoked 100+ cigarettes in lifetime and smoked in the past 30 days

NOTE: Some categories have been combined: “I buy them from a friend”, and “I buy them from someone else”; “My brother or sister gives them to me”, “My mother or father gives them to me” and “I take them from my mother, father, or siblings”; “A friend gives them to me” and “Someone else gives them to me”.

Sources of cigarettes for 15- to 18-year-olds

The legal age to purchase cigarettes is 19 in most provinces, with the exception of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec, where the legal purchase age is 18. In the 15-18 age group, most of the smokers surveyed would be underage for purchasing cigarettes.

In 2017, when smokers aged 15-18 were asked where they usually got their cigarettes, the most common source was purchasing from a store, primarily small grocery/corner stores (Figure 9.2). Nearly as many reported being given cigarettes by another person, including friends, family and others. Approximately one in five reported getting cigarettes from “other” sources, which included purchasing from friends/others, and on/from First Nations reserves.

Figure 9.2 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Percentage of smokers aged 15-18 who usually get cigarettes from various sources, 2017

Source

%

Buy from a store

43.5 [33.5-53.5]

Get free from family / friend / someone else

37.2 [27.5-47.0]

Other (Including purchasing from friend/someone else or reserve)

19.3 [12.5-26.0]

NOTE: Some categories have been combined due to low numbers: “Buy from store” includes “small grocery/corner store”, “Supermarket” and “Another kind of store”; “Get free from family/friend/someone else” includes “A friend OR someone else gives them to me” and “I take them from my mother, father or siblings”; “Other” includes “Buy ON a First Nations reserve”, “Buy FROM a First Nations reserve”, “Buy from friend/someone else”, and “Other”.